His Saving Grace
by MollyPiper
Summary: After Gibbs returns from Mexico Tony's NCIS career reaches its lowest point and, with relations with his team at an all time low, he seriously considers running away again. His life changes for the better, though when a long time friend and off and on again lover moves to DC to be with him.
1. Chapter 1

Tony got back from his early morning run at about 6:30am. Thanks to his _stupid _plague scarred lungs he couldn't run very far in the mornings anymore, especially when it was cold, but three or four miles was still better than nothing. Reluctantly he went and got in the shower so he could get ready for work. He dreaded arriving at NCIS each morning now, never knowing what sort of a reception he was going to get. And that was before he dealt with the killers, kidnappers, rapists, thieves and all other manner of criminal that the team interacted with each day.

The best Tony could pinpoint, everything had gone to hell when Gibbs had 'retired' and left for Mexico. Before that time they hadn't just been a team, they had been a family. After that, though everything had been thrown off balance. Their leader, their father, was gone. They had to get used to a new way of doing things and nobody had been happy about it. Then Gibbs had come back and Tony honestly couldn't decide what had been worse: NCIS without Gibbs or NCIS after Gibbs came out of retirement. Tony had really grown apart from the team while he had been leading it. As SFA he'd always been aware that there was an invisible veil between senior agents and junior agents but as Team Leader it became even more apparent.

This was just ridiculous, though. Abby plastered her lab with pictures of Gibbs and constantly bemoaned his absence, it never even crossing her mind that she was hurting Tony with her words and actions. Tim and Ziva blatantly flouted his orders, doing things however they wished – something they would never have dared do if Gibbs had still been around – and frequently doing a mediocre job. They also made it blatantly clear that they were disgusted with him as their team leader and, at best, he was a cheap imitation of Gibbs; certainly not worthy his own team. Ducky was so hurt and angry at Gibbs' departure that he wasn't even available to talk to anymore, other than cases discussing nothing but how disappointed he was in Gibbs. Tony _had_ become close to Jimmy, the autopsy assistant, but he didn't work exclusively for the MCRT and with his many other responsibilities Tony didn't often have time to go down to the morgue himself so he and Jimmy didn't cross paths during working hours very much.

Then, after four months, Gibbs had returned. Tony had arrived at work one morning to find himself demoted and all his things dumped back on his old desk. Abby was thrilled with Gibbs' return, proclaiming that 'everything was once again as it was supposed to be' never realizing that Tony might be upset by the way things had played out. Ducky was still so caught up in his anger at Gibbs he talked to nobody. Tim and Ziva delighted in Tony's demotion, sure that Gibbs returning meant that he had messed up somehow, proving that he wasn't a capable team leader and Gibbs was determined to reassert himself as leader of the MCRT. In the two weeks Gibbs had been back Tony didn't think he had ever had so many head slaps. And it wasn't the sharp, but still harmless kind of slaps either. Tony had a permanent headache, which he suspected had been caused by Gibbs, and he was actually starting to become concerned for his health. He was forced to do all the probie work – dumpster diving, gassing the truck and running errands – and he never knew where the next cruel, borderline abusive, insult was going to come from these days: Gibbs, Tim or Ziva.

Tony was just glad that he wasn't working the La Grenouille op anymore. It had only taken a few dates with the beautiful Jeanne Benoit to establish that she had no idea what sort of a monster her father was so, seeing what kind of a strain Tony was under, Director Sheppard had agreed that he could pull the plug on the op. It seemed like that was the only thing that had gone right in Tony's life these days. He hated to think how much more stressful things would have been if he'd been working undercover as well as trying to cope with the abuse of his so-called friends. Things were so bad that Tony was seriously considering resigning. At this point he thought turning down the job in Rota might have been the worst mistake he'd ever made.

Just as he was getting out of the shower his cell phone rang. He wrapped a towel around his waist and reluctantly went to answer it, really hoping that he wasn't being called into work early for a case. A smile spread across his face when he saw the name on caller ID, though. This was nothing to do with work _thank god. _He pressed the button to accept the call. "Hey Beautiful."

"Good morning Romeo. I heard Gibbs was back. How are you doing?"

"Don't remind me," Tony groaned. "I'm not at work right now so I'm trying not to think about it."

Michelle Jenkins clucked her tongue sympathetically. Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a reputation that preceded him and she could only imagine how tough Tony was finding it to work for him while he was recovering from amnesia. "Well I have some news that might cheer you up."

"Oh?" Tony asked, intrigued. "Do tell."

"I'm moving to DC. I flew in an hour ago."

"Yeah?" Tony asked, perking up. "So you're done with active duty, then?"

Michelle was a Lieutenant who worked in Naval Intelligence but the last time she and Tony had talked, due to health related reasons, she had been seriously considering taking early retirement. Tony and Michelle had met about eight years ago when Tony was holidaying with some friends in Hawaii and Michelle had been on shore leave on the island. Since then they had made a point of talking at least once or twice a month and hooking up at least a couple of times a year. Because Michelle was never in one place for very long their relationship was an open one but they kept coming back to each other and while they'd never admitted it out loud they both knew that they had something very special.

"I am officially an ex-Lieutenant," Michelle said. "I got a job working in Counterintelligence NCIS."

For the first time in what seemed like forever Tony found himself smiling. It would be good to have a friendly face around NCIS. "Where are you staying?"

"Yeah, about that," said Michelle. "I was hoping I could stay with you, Romeo. NCIS was supposed to arrange temporary accommodation for me but apparently that's fallen through. Do you mind?"

"Of course not," Tony said earnestly. "I don't know what time I'll get off work so I'll leave a key for you with my neighbour. Just make yourself at home."

"Will do, Romeo. I'll see you later then."

Both Tony and Michelle had to get ready for work so they ended the call. Tony found himself getting dressed and heading out of his apartment with a bit of a spring in his step. For the first time in weeks he felt as though something was going right. Maybe today wouldn't be so horrible after all.

That was just wishful thinking, he thought to himself when he got home a little less than 12 hours later. Everything was dark and silent to he assumed that Michelle hadn't arrived yet. He started pulling off his clothes, just dumping them on the floor in a trail which led to the bathroom as he practically raced for the shower, hoping to wash away some of the strain of the day. He groaned with relief as the hot water started to relax his tense, tired body. Today may well have been one of the worst days of his NCIS career. They had been investigating the murders of a Navy Commander's wife and 10 year old daughter. Considering the loss of his own family a case like that was always going to have put Gibbs in a horrible mood but it had been so much worse than Tony imagined. The head slaps had become much more violent and the comments had been so much crueller. Today Tony had seen absolutely no vestige of the friendship he and Gibbs had shared for the last seven years. Gibbs, to Tony, was now a horrible stranger and, remembering the way the former Marine had exploded when a Metro cop accidentally mixed up some of the evidence, Tony knew he couldn't work for him anymore. Tony would be leaving NCIS with plague scarred lungs, a permanent concussion, absolutely no respect from his colleagues and the idea that he would never amount to anything. He shuddered to think what state he would be in if he waited any longer to get away from the place.

Tony jumped in surprise as he felt a pair of arms slide around his waist and a body snuggle up behind him. He'd been so lost in thought, his head under the spray, that he hadn't heard the shower door open and close behind him. He whirled around, ready to attack, only to come up short when faced with a gloriously wet and naked Michelle. She smiled radiantly at him. "Hello Romeo."

Smiling, Tony drew her into his arms and kissed her, hard. "I am _so _glad you're here."


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of hours later, as Tony dozed fitfully beside her, Michelle propped herself up on one arm and studied him intently. It was glaringly obvious that there was something badly wrong with him. If the dark rings around his eyes and the 20-30 pounds of weight he'd lost weren't an indication of that then the powerful aura of defeat he'd been exuding when she first joined him in the shower definitely was. This was so unlike the happy, fun loving guy that Michelle knew she was sorely tempted to wake him up and demand to know what was going on but she had a feeling that it was a while since Tony had had a proper sleep so she forced herself to leave him be, at least for now.

Some time later Tony awoke to the wondrous smell of food permeating his nostrils. He'd been working so hard lately that he hadn't had time to have a good meal for a while now. He'd pretty much been living on takeaways which, despite the frat boy, pizza guzzling image most people had of him, he wasn't happy about. Tonight, though, by the smell of it, Michelle had made something involving meat and cheese. He opened his eyes to find her holding a bowl of cabonara under his nose. "Thanks, Beautiful," he mumbled, struggling into a sitting position and taking his bowl and hers while she shrugged off his robe which she'd borrowed and rejoined him in the big bed.

Michelle couldn't contain herself any more. "So, what's going on Romeo?" she asked, between bites. "Because no offence but you look horrible."

Tony swallowed his mouthful and laughed bitterly. "I feel horrible. Well, less horrible now you're here," he amended quickly.

"Start talking," she ordered, leaving absolutely no room for argument in her tone.

As a rule Tony didn't like to share his problems when things went bad. He had nothing and virtually nobody in his life so if he was the only one in danger so much the better. He needed someone to tell him whether his fears were justified, though or whether he was just being irrational. Just like Ducky had been before Gibbs ruined everything with his retirement, Michelle was easy to talk to so Tony couldn't seem to stop himself from sharing, holding nothing back. He told her how exhausted and overworked he was, trying to balance his normal SFA duties with the shit Gibbs was dishing out and the cover he was having to provide Tim and Ziva who thought it was hilariously funny to flout his orders and only to a half-assed job. He told her how utterly abandoned he felt by Ducky and Abby. He told her how Gibbs' insulting, at best, parting shot of "you'll do" had given everyone the impression that he was only being made team leader because there was no other option and his abrupt return from Mexico had only confirmed that in Tim, Abby and Ziva's minds, causing them to taunt him mercilessly. He told her about the abuse he was taking from Gibbs and how he couldn't take it any more.

Michelle was horrified. She hadn't realized things were this bad. She'd known last time she spoke to Tony that he wasn't happy at NCIS anymore but she'd had no idea that the situation had escalated so badly. It made her _so _mad! Tony was such a lovely guy. The only reason he sought approval so much was after loosing his mother so young and being abandoned by his father he had never gotten it from his parents. He yearned to be loved and in return would open his huge heart to you. If it weren't for the fact she knew it would only make things worse for Tony she was sorely tempted to storm into the bullpen tomorrow and give Gibbs, McGee and David, the bastards, a piece of her mind.

"What are you doing to do?" she asked worriedly. "Resign?"

Tony frowned. "I love NCIS. It's the best job I've ever had but I don't think I have any other choice. I can't take this shit anymore, Shell and to tell you the truth I'm worried about what's going to happen to me if I stay. I don't want to get shot and killed because I'm too tired or too busy second guessing my orders and wondering if I'm about to get screwed over by my colleagues to focus on the guy with the gun. You know, only the fact that you're here now is stopping me really regretting turning down the job Jen offered me in Rota."

Michelle only just managed to stifle a cry of shock. Things were so bad that Tony thought he was going to get killed in the line of duty? She set her bowl down and kissed him softly, running a hand soothingly down his side. She felt him relax at least a little bit at her touch. "Well, just so you know I'm extremely glad you're here and not in Rota. If you think you're going to get killed, though you definitely need to leave. What would you do, though?"

Tony had been thinking about that. Even though he wanted out of NCIS he didn't want to leave DC, especially now that Michelle was there. For the first time in his life he had found a home and he would be dammed if he let Gibbs, McGee and David drive him away from that as well as job. It wouldn't be hard for him to get another job in DC. Former NCIS Director Tom Morrow had offered him a couple of jobs with Homeland Security. That probably wouldn't involve much field work but it would be interesting and he had always gotten on well with Morrow. He also had a standing job offer from Fornell with the FBI. If he accepted that the downside would be having to work with Sacks but on the upside it would _seriously _piss Gibbs off. Also, in the worst case scenario, he could always join Metro. He had been a good cop and he had, for the most part, enjoyed the job.

Michelle nodded, glad that Tony was thinking about his future and not just escaping from NCIS. "You've been at NCIS for a long time now, right?"

"Seven years," Tony nodded.

"Then, do you think you should talk to Director Sheppard about all of this before you leave?" Michelle said, choosing her words extremely carefully. "You've done a lot for the agency and there's a lot they could do for you in return. Obviously you aren't close with your current team any more but there are others at NCIS you get along well with so she might be able to find you a position away from Gibbs but still with NCIS. Besides, the Director needs to know because whoever ends up replacing you will be in danger if Gibbs and the others don't change their ways."

Tony thought about it and realized that Michelle made a good point. Gibbs was very set in his ways and didn't like change. If McGee wasn't promoted to SFA when he left Gibbs would probably demand to have Stan Burley, his old SFA back. Stan was married and had two young daughters now so if something happened to him because the rest of the team's horrific behaviour and he hadn't reported it Tony didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself. Besides, Jen already knew about some of it. She'd made note of McGee and David's insubordination on more than one occasion and had encouraged Tony to reprimand them and file an official complaint. Tony had never taken her advice because he feared that such an action would just make things worse but Jen had given him a lot of leeway when he'd had to go and interview suspects and follow up leads on his own or paperwork was late because McGee and David weren't doing their jobs properly. Tony had felt a bit betrayed by her when she'd demoted him without so much as a warning but she had followed that up with the offer of a promotion to Rota and Gibbs was her friend and former lover so she probably had no idea of how much he had changed. Surely she would believe him if he spelled it out for her, though?

"You're right," he nodded. "I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Thank you," Michelle said, relieved.

They finished their meal and then settled down to sleep. With a tentative plan in mind and Michelle beside him Tony slept well for the first time in months.


	3. Chapter 3

If the rest of NCIS had the same opinion about Tony DiNozzo as the other members of the MCRT did a lot of derogatory comments about the unprecedented occurrence of him getting to work before even Gibbs had arrived would have been flying around the building. Thankfully, for the most part, everyone at NCIS liked Tony so all that came his way when he arrived at about 7:30 am the following morning were polite nods and cheerful greetings. Tony wasn't in the mood for small talk but he did return the greetings, not wanting to burn all his bridges at NCIS in case he did stay with the agency.

He dumped his bag and jacket at his desk, relieved that the bullpen was empty. Tony just wasn't in the mood to deal with Gibbs, McGee or David right now. He then went upstairs to see if the director had arrived yet, knowing that the meeting he needed to have with her was going to change his life forever. There was a letter of resignation in his pocket. He wasn't necessarily going to use it but he would if the meeting didn't turn out the way he and Michelle hoped it would. One way or another Tony was finished with Team Gibbs. Which way depended on the director's reaction.

Cynthia wasn't in yet but the director was. Tony tapped on her open door. "Morning Jen. Have you got time for a chat?"

"Of course, Tony. Come in and take a seat."

As he came into her office Jenny scrutinized Tony intently. Although she was yet to take any action against the perpetrators Jenny was aware of the massive strain Tony had been under these past few months thanks to certain people. Today, though something about him was very different. It looked like, for once, he had been able to get a good night's sleep and there was a lightness about him, a sort of inner peace, which had been missing for months. Jenny promised herself that she would do whatever it took to keep Tony in this state. She'd known all along that Jethro would never be happy spending the rest of his life lying on the beach and would be back sooner or later which was why she had put him on leave rather than filing his official retirement papers. She regretted that Jethro coming back had necessitated Tony's demotion, though. Jenny had gotten to know Tony quite well when he took on the La Grenouille op for her and found him to be a compassionate, engaging and extremely hard working individual. He didn't deserve to be treated this way and she really regretted not telling him all along that his promotion to Team Leader would probably only be a temporary one.

Admittedly she had followed Tony's demotion up with an offer of a promotion to Rota, Spain but she'd known practically before the words were out of her mouth that he would turn down the offer. Tony had so few connections in his life that he wouldn't want to leave the home he had found for himself here in DC. Now Jenny knew that she needed to come up with another offer for Tony, one that would keep him in the city. He was too good of an agent to loose and he would definitely leave NCIS if the situation with the MCRT was allowed to continue. "What can I do for you, Tony?" she enquired.

"You can take me off Gibbs' team," Tony said bluntly. "Today."

Jenny sighed. "I can't say I haven't seen this coming. Tell me, though: what finally pushed you over the edge?"

"Honestly it was a culmination of a lot of things," Tony sighed. "This has been coming for months, really. You already know about the insubordination but it's more than that. It hit me yesterday that I don't feel safe working with them anymore. McGee and David never do what I tell them and Gibbs is too busy hitting me in the head to focus on the guy with the gun. Someone is going to get killed and I don't want it to be me."

Jenny was horrified. "It's really gotten that bad?"

"It's worse than that, really," Tony admitted. "I can tell Gibbs' memory still isn't fully recovered. He called David Kate yesterday. He actually thought it was Kate for a good 10-15 minutes. If he can't tell the difference between a member of his team and a woman who's been dead for years how can he tell the difference between a member of his team and the guy with the gun. Seriously Jen, has he even been declared fit for duty?"

"He's fine," Jenny assured him.

Tony eyed her knowingly. "Is that according to an NCIS approved medical practitioner or according to the gospel of Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" The expression on Jenny's face told Tony all he needed to know. "Come on Jen. I know he means a lot to you, he used to mean just as much to me, but you can't let him cut corners. Not only is it only fair that he's held to the same standards as the rest of us you know he'll never admit it even if there is something wrong with him. How would you feel if someone got injured or killed because he isn't at the top of his game?"

"You're right," Jenny admitted reluctantly. She knew what she had to do but doing it – actually getting Jethro to see a doctor – would be the challenge. "I don't suppose you'd stay if Jethro is officially cleared?"

Tony shook his head. "Not a chance. I can't work for Gibbs, not anymore and I won't work with McGee and David anymore, either. You've seen what's been happening these past few months, Jen. I can't do it anymore."

"I understand," Jenny sighed, knowing that getting Tony away from Gibbs was the right thing to do. She could see the younger man was becoming bitter and rather jaded. If she wanted to keep him with NCIS she needed to give him a new challenge. "Tell me, do you think Agent McGee is ready to step permanently into the role of Senior Field Agent to replace you?"

"No," Tony said emphatically.

"Explain," Jenny requested.

"When Gibbs left I knew McGee wasn't ready so I only passed on part of the workload, doing the rest myself," Tony explained. "In the end I created more work for myself but that was probably a good thing considering the half assed job McGee did on most of the tasks I gave him. I doubt he even realizes that there's far more to the job than he ever did. It's also part of the SFA's job to train and discipline the junior agents. Can you really imagine McGee standing up to David, let alone her obeying him? Plus I don't think he would be able to handle Gibbs in a mood."

Jenny smiled ruefully. "I'd have thought that you would be thrilled to let someone else deal with Gibbs' head slaps."

Tony snorted. "There are head slaps and then there's a punch in the head. I don't mind taking a slap to the head if it diffuses Gibbs' anger which, by the way, I'm not sure McGee and David realise I do, but ever since he's gotten back from Mexico he's gotten violent Jen. I've had a headache for a week now. My partner tried to tell me that I should file an official complaint against him."

"Partner?" Jenny asked, startled. "I didn't cause any problems for you with the La Grenouille op, did I?"

Tony shook his head. "Michelle and I've been together off and on for eight years now but until now we've had an open relationship. Besides, although she's just taken early retirement and started working for NCIS, Michelle was in the Navy. She would have understood if she'd known at the time."

"Not Michelle Jenkins?" Jenny asked, remembering the newly retired young Lieutenant she'd met the previous day.

Tony nodded. "Come to think of it I'm supposed to declare any serious relationships, aren't I? It was never an issue before but now she's in DC for good I should probably do that. If I stay with NCIS I'll also be changing my power of attorney, medical proxy and next-of-kin, everything, to her."

Jenny was pleased that Tony had someone special in his life. She also saw an opportunity to keep Tony, who she believed had a bright future with the agency, at NCIS. "So you would consider staying with us, then?"

"I love NCIS so if you can find me a position here in DC that doesn't involve interacting with Gibbs or his team I'll stay," Tony said.

"Would you consider moving into the operational side of things rather than doing field work?" Jenny asked.

"What would I be doing?" Tony asked warily. His doctors would be thrilled if he retired from the field but he couldn't imagine riding a desk 24-7.

Jenny eyed him seriously. "I'll be blunt with you, Tony. You're an excellent Senior Field Agent and you did an exemplary job as Team Leader, especially seeing as you were dealing with an undercover operation for most of that time. You get along with most people here at NCIS. You handle field work brilliantly but you can also play the politics game when necessary. Honestly, I can see you sitting in my chair one day. If you're going to do that, though you need some operational experience, instead of just field work. You're familiar with the OSP unit in Los Angeles, I trust?"

"Of course," Tony said, amazed that Jenny envisaged such a future for him. He'd always thought that he would stay in the field for as long as he could then move on to a whole new career or retire altogether. _Director DiNozzo…_that was both an exciting and a terrifying thought.

"We're in the process of opening a sister unit here in DC," Jenny said, knowing that she had shocked Tony with her plans for him. "It would start with one team but, in time, would grow to three, possibly four, teams. I've been looking for an Operations Manager to run the unit. What would you say if I were to offer the position to you, Tony?"

Tony was stunned. Operations Manager of OSP would be a huge step up. If he took the job he would basically be answerable only to Jenny, Deputy Director Vance and the Sec-Nav. It was also one office bound job he could see himself doing without going mad from boredom. He could see a potential problem, though. "OSP works in conjunction with counterintelligence, doesn't it? That means Michelle and I would be interacting quite a bit. I know Rule 12 isn't an official rule on the books but I imagine there are regulations against couples working together."

"There are for field work but in operations there won't be any issues about objectivity so as long as your relationship is officially declared it won't be a problem," Jenny said. "What do you say? Will you take the job?"


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Tony came downstairs from his meeting with the director the rest of his team had already arrived. His former team, he quickly amended. The resignation letter burning a hole in his pocket was destined for the shredder and the paperwork for his promotion was already being processed. Jenny had told him he could end his long association with Team Gibbs today. OSP DC wouldn't be ready to be launched for at least a couple more weeks but he could spend his time building the unit's 'A Team' and seeking out projects for them to take on.

As he came downstairs Tony shot off a quick text to Michelle bearing the good news. She knew that the whole reason he'd gone into work early today was to talk to Jenny and she would only worry about him all day if she didn't hear from him. Tony hardly had time to put his phone away before Gibbs got right up in his face. "Where the hell have you been, DiNozzo?" he roared.

"With Jenny," Tony said calmly, carrying on over to his desk.

"And just what have you been doing with my agent?" Gibbs growled.

Tony was a bit startled. He hadn't realised Jenny had followed him downstairs but he was glad she was there to back him up. This had the potential to get ugly. Jenny frowned at Gibbs. "Actually Jethro he's my agent, not yours," she said. "Sometimes I think you forget I'm the director of this agency, not you. Anyway, would you like to tell them the good news, Agent DiNozzo, or shall I?"

"You can," Tony said, starting to pack up his belongings. Watching him Gibbs suddenly had a bad feeling about this. It was clear that DiNozzo was leaving. The question was for how long? The ex-marine turned to Jenny expectantly.

"A formal announcement will be made in the next few days but as of this moment Agent DiNozzo is not a part of this team," Jenny explained. "Effective immediately he is the Manager of the OSP unit which is opening here in Washington DC."

Gasps of shock echoed around the bullpen. It was obvious to Jenny that nobody thought Agent DiNozzo would ever qualify for such a great promotion and of course nobody focused on what a great opportunity this was for him. Gibbs stormed over to his now ex-SFA and got right back up in his face. Jenny moved closer to intervene if she had to. "You running away, DiNozzo?" the team leader growled.

Jenny was pleased to see that Tony handled himself well. The fact that Tony could handle Gibbs was another reason why she thought he would do well in the upper echelons of NCIS. He ceased packing up his belongings and gave Gibbs a glacial look. "I'm being promoted," he said coldly. "There's a difference. Find somebody else to be your whipping boy, Gibbs because I'm done!"

* * *

Downstairs in the lab Abby had tears running down her face. Timmy running into the lab, shaking and pale faced, had given her a flashback to the moment she'd found out Kate was dead. McGee's breathless comment of: "Tony's off the team!" had been almost as bad.

Gibbs had dragged Jenny back up to MTAC, probably to try and order her to reverse Tony's promotion, so McGee and Ziva had taken the opportunity to go downstairs and break the news to Abby, Ducky and Jimmy. "Tony can't leave!" Abby sobbed. "Do you think Gibbs will be able to get him back?"

"Probably not," Ziva said, stunned disbelief obvious in her tone. How could Tony, the bumbling clown who had made the last four months of all their lives a nightmare, letting his massive ego run their team, have been promoted? "Tony outranks Gibbs now."

"What will his new title be?" Jimmy asked. If anyone had been paying attention they'd have realised he was the only one who didn't seem surprised by news of Tony's promotion. After months of watching Tony take these people's abuse Jimmy had seen this coming.

"OSP Operations Manager Senior Supervisory Agent, I imagine," McGee said, after a moment of thought.

McGee was just as shocked as Ziva. McGee liked Tony well enough but he had always known that he was a better agent than the older man. His MIT education put him streets ahead of someone with only an Ohio State bachelor in physical education….didn't it? Even so, though McGee knew he wasn't ready for a position like Manager of OSP. That was the job Tony had now, though. McGee couldn't decide whether he had missed something about the former SFA or whether Tony had somehow conned Director Sheppard into making a massive mistake.

"But why would Tony not tell us he wanted to leave?" Abby cried. "We could have talked him out of it!"

Just like the rest of the team Abby didn't take any notice of what a huge opportunity this was for Tony. She couldn't believe that this was happening. They'd only just gotten Gibbs back and now they were loosing Tony. He couldn't leave the team, he just couldn't! Tony was just meant to be Gibbs' SFA and now that her silver fox was back from Mexico things were back to the way they were supposed to be.

A look of dawning comprehension and regret crossed Ducky's face. "Jethro's sudden departure threw us all of balance, I believe," he said sadly. "As Acting Team Leader Anthony had the responsibility of dealing with that placed on his shoulders. We were all so upset, though and didn't want things to change so we pushed him away and fought him every step of the way. I fear that my own anger at Jethro and my worry over Mother's worsening condition may have given Anthony the impression that I didn't believe him to be a good team leader when actually nothing could be further from the truth. We may see each other as family but after the way he was treated I wouldn't be surprised if Anthony doesn't feel that way anymore."

Jimmy was so relieved that his boss and mentor seemed to finally understand. Hopefully things in the morgue would be much more relaxed now and Tony would have another ally. Abby, though was horrified and refused to see the truth. "Ducky, how can you say that?" she shrieked. "Tony wants to leave the team! He can't do that! We only just got Gibbs back!"

Ducky looked at her sympathetically. "My dear girl it was only a mater of time until Anthony moved on once Jethro returned. The team does not need two Supervisory Agents and especially after doing such an exemplary job as Team Leader it wouldn't be right for Anthony to keep playing second fiddle to Jethro when he has the opportunity for career advancement. There's also no reason for him to stay after the way we all treated him. I regret that I couldn't see past my own anger to realise that Anthony was just as hurt by Jethro's departure as we were and even more so because we didn't realise that."

There was a noise behind them and they all turned around to see a slightly sheepish Tony standing in the doorway. After packing up his belongings he'd come downstairs to look for Jimmy. The morgue had been empty, though and he'd traced the younger man to Abby's lab. As he approached the open door he heard some of the conversation going on inside and realised that the reason McGee and David had raced off so quickly after Gibbs and Jenny left was so they could tell Jimmy, Ducky and Abby. Tony knew that eavesdropping wasn't the right thing to do but he was interested to know how the team was taking news of his promotion so he stayed in the shadows and stopped to listen.

Jimmy didn't seem to be bothered by it all. Tony realised that the younger man had become close to him in the past few months and had probably seen this coming. He was glad that at least somebody would still treat him normally.

Tony was so glad that Ducky had finally come around. He'd really missed the old Scot.

Abby, McGee and David's reactions hurt but they were hardly surprising. McGee and David had made it very clear on more than one occasion that they didn't think he was capable of having his own team so they definitely wouldn't think him good enough for his new job. Abby, Tony should have known, wouldn't take this well. Her world revolved around Gibbs and she had a horrible tendency to bulldoze over any truths that she didn't want to acknowledge so Tony should have realised that she would want to fight his promotion.

When the team finally realised he was there Tony stood in the doorway without saying anything. The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Good old Ducky was the first person to try and alleviate it. "Anthony, I am so…."

"It's okay, Ducky," Tony cut him off, not wanting to put either of them through what was bound to have been a really awkward apology. Besides, it wasn't Ducky that he wanted an apology from. The old ME hadn't been anywhere near as horrible to him as everyone else these past few months. "I should have known that you wouldn't have acted like that without a good reason."

Abby flung herself at Tony and hugged him tightly, desperate to talk him out of what she considered to be a huge mistake. "You can't leave, Tony! You just can't!" she pouted. "You need to go up and tell the director that you don't want to leave the team!"

"But I do want to leave, Abby," Tony said harshly, detaching himself from her chokehold. "It's done. Anyway, the reason I came down here Jim, was to see of you had time to go for a coffee. You can come to if you want, Ducky."

Abby, McGee and Ziva looked as though they had been slapped in the face at their non-invite. "Tony can we talk about this later?" McGee asked.

"You guys aren't going to talk me out of this," Tony said. "Oh, and Gibbs is probably looking for you three by now."

McGee and Ziva, especially, flinched. Even they had noticed that Gibbs had rarely been anything but angry since his return from Mexico and they knew that, following the news of Tony's departure, he was going to be in a horrible mood. "Yay!" McGee said sarcastically.

"Good luck," Tony smirked. "Believe me, you're going to need it."


	5. Chapter 5

Tony's coffee with Ducky and Jimmy went well. He made amends with Ducky, something which he was very happy about. He had truly missed the elderly ME and the man's steady, calming presence in his life these past few months. Jimmy was happy that, not only had his mentor's eyes been opened as to what Tony had endured since Gibbs 'retired' but also that Tony had been promoted and was off the team that had made things so difficult for him. The young man hoped that things around NCIS would be a bit calmer now, although with Gibbs involved he knew that was probably wishful thinking.

After their coffee the trio went back to the morgue and toasted Tony's new position with a bottle of scotch that Ducky kept in his desk. That though was when a tiny seed of regret tried to plant itself in Tony's mind.

Wasn't part of the reason he was so angry at Gibbs the fact that the man had gone running off to Mexico without so much as a warning, throwing him in the deep end with his new position as Team Leader? Hadn't he just done the same thing? He'd left the MCRT without warning, leaving McGee to step into a position he wasn't ready for and Gibbs with agents who rarely did their jobs properly. He was a hypocrite.

'Well that's just too damn bad,' he eventually concluded. He had really tried to make things work with the team and they were the ones that had driven him away. Whatever happened next, they had brought it on themselves.

Michelle apparently agreed with him. She got off work earlier than Tony so by the time he got home she already had dinner on. The delicious smell of roast meat permeated his nostrils as soon as he stepped through the door. Michelle appeared before him and pushed him up against the wall, kissing him hard. "I am so happy for you!" she said.

Tony couldn't help but grin. He was happy too. The years he'd spent on Team Gibbs were a huge part of his life and had shaped a good deal of whom he was today. It was thanks to Gibbs he had finally found the home he'd been searching for all his life and, for that, he would always be grateful to the man but it was time to move on. Ever since he'd told Jen he would take the promotion he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thanks, Beautiful," he said, holding her tightly.

Tony couldn't help but wonder how different things might have been right now if Michelle hadn't moved to DC. Would he still have been promoted to OSP or would he have left NCIS like he'd originally been planning to? Perhaps he would have just carried on taking the abuse from Gibbs and the rest then come home every night and drunk too much, stewing in anger and bitterness. Regardless, he was so glad that Michelle was here.

The couple settled on the couch in front of a movie to eat dinner. They relished the chance just to hold each other after the long day that, especially Tony, had had. When the opening credits began to role, though Michelle muted the screen and looked at Tony seriously.

"We need to talk, Romeo."

"This sounds ominous," Tony joked, inwardly hoping that nothing was wrong.

"Not really but we do need to have a serious discussion."

Tony gave her his full attention. "Well fire away then."

Michelle looked away, not really sure how to begin. She knew that she needed to choose her words carefully. What happened next could either make or break her relationship with the man she loved. "I know we've always talked about settling down when I left the Navy but we've never discussed exactly what settling down means. I was telling one of the women I work with how I've just moved to town and was staying with a friend. She gave me the business card for the real estate agent she used when she moved here. I need to know do I make an appointment to see him or not?"

Tony swallowed hard. So this was one of _those _conversations. He wasn't good at sharing his feelings and never had been. Every relationship he'd had which he'd tried to take to the next level had also turned out to be an epic failure. Michelle had been the one constant in his life for the last few years and the thought of screwing up their relationship and loosing her terrified him.

Equally, though he knew that if he didn't man up and admit his feelings he would probably loose her anyway. Maybe Michelle would be different to the long line of failed relationships in his past. Michelle was so good for him. She expected him to be the best he could possibly be instead of just the immature, overgrown frat boy that almost everybody else saw him as. With Michelle, Tony could see a different, happier future for himself. He loved that she just knew he could be a better man and he realised that he would be a fool to let her go.

Professionally, for once, things were on a high. Maybe it was time to take the plunge on a personal level as well. For years all Tony had had to come home to at night were his movies so tonight had been a new experience for him, one that he thought he could really get used to. In fact, the thought of Michelle not being around all the time filled him with a surprisingly powerful ache.

"Well obviously you have to do what you feel is right for you," he said carefully. "But my instinct is that I don't want you to go. I-I love you, Chelle. You've got no idea how much better you make my life. I need you. I think I'm finally ready for the whole white picket fence and 2.5 children thing and I can't imagine having a future like that with anyone except you."

Michelle only just managed to mask her surprise. She knew that there were demons in Tony's past that made just saying 'I love you' difficult so it amazed her that he'd gone so much further. She could see that he was wearing his heart on his sleeve for once and had no phoney masks on, hiding his true feelings. Aware of what a huge leap of faith he'd just taken for her, tears filled her eyes. "Tony DiNozzo, was that a proposal?"

That wasn't the way Tony had planned to go when he'd started speaking but it was the way his words had taken him anyway and, to his surprise, it felt right. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah. Yeah it was," he said softly.

Michelle climbed into his lap and kissed him. That business card would be going in the bin at the earliest possible moment. "Tony DiNozzo, I love you too," she said, running her fingers through his thick dark hair. "And of course I'll marry you!"

The newly engaged couple held each other and laughed joyously, the stress of the past few days melting away in the light of the bright new future which lay before them. The moment was ruined, though when they heard a scratching sound coming from the front door. Tony quickly realised that the sound was his lock being picked. Someone was breaking in to his apartment! He went to confront the intruder.

Reaching the same conclusion Michelle followed her new finance, feeling rather pissed off with whoever it was. Not only were they breaking and entering, they were ruining what, until now, had been a wonderful night for her and Tony.

She got to the hallway just in time to see the door crash open and a grey haired man storm inside and invade Tony's personal space, driving him into the corner so he had no way to escape. "DINOZZO!" he roared, looking apoplectic with rage.

Michelle realised that this was the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She watched in stunned disbelief as the man, who didn't seem to have realised she was there, began to scream at Tony, apparently furious with him for _earning a promotion. _In turn that made Michelle furious. How dare this arrogant ass treat Tony like this? She stormed over to intervene, backing Gibbs against the connecting wall so Tony could escape.

"Back off lady. This is between me and my agent," Gibbs snapped.

"He's not your agent anymore," Michelle snarled. "Do you want to tell me what the _hell _you think you're doing?"

_**Next is a chapter that is probably by far my favourite of all the ones I've planned: Gibbs has arrived expecting to have it out with Tony but to do that he's going to have to get through Michelle first! Please review **_


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